


Through The Rifts

by NeonVellichor



Category: Ephemeral Rift - Fandom, Rift World Series - Ephemeral Rift
Genre: ASMR, Ephemeral Rift, Gen, YouTube
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:42:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23388316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeonVellichor/pseuds/NeonVellichor
Summary: Arkham Sanitarium is a very peculiar place. It’s a sanctuary for all your worries and anxieties to dissolve, a place for the mind to rehabilitate and relax - or so they say. When a young girl named Rose accidentally travels through an opened rift she discovers the dark secrets lying just behind the doors of Arkham.
Comments: 16
Kudos: 4





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> UPDATE PLEASE READ: I decided to edit a few unnecessary things out of this chapter because as I said before I felt like they would only cause confusion and they were just plain unnecessary. 
> 
> Hey guys this is only the first chapter of a fanfiction I’m currently writing for the YouTube channel Ephemeral Rift, you guys should really check out his channel if you’ve never seen it before. 
> 
> This is also my first fanfiction I’ve ever written so I apologize if this whole story turns out to be poorly written and just terrible lol. Anyways enjoy

It had been raining all day long. A girl peered outside a bus window as tiny droplets of rain splattered onto it. She appeared deep in thought as she watched the rain drops graze gently and gracefully down the window. Another girl sat next to her with a bright pink umbrella in hand boredly playing with it. She was completely silent, lost in her own world too. 

Houses, road signs and the occasional car parked alongside the road looked like a huge blur as the bus passed. It looked dreary and miserable outside, there was not a single soul in sight. The girl with the umbrella turned and quietly spoke: “Rose, this is our stop up ahead.” The girl facing the window then snapped out of her daydream and the bus came to a tight halt. The two girls got off the bus together and followed the road in front of them home. 

The girl with the umbrella looked wearily at the road ahead of her as she walked. “Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you home? I worry about you Rose.” Rose’s friend said as she opened her umbrella ready to brace the rain. “You know… all those people that’ve been going missing lately makes me scared. I just… I don’t wanna lose you Rose. I’m worried that’s all...” she trailed off once more and stared at the roadway ahead. The trees nearby were eerily blowing in the wind giving the whole scene an ominous tone.

Rose paused for a minute, she looked towards the dark depressing clouds in the sky and then at the road. “That’s okay, really, it’s a long way to my house Emily, and I don’t want for  _ you _ to have to walk all home alone.” She replied, Emily sighed then looked towards the road ahead then back at Rose, “Ok just be safe. I’ll see you later!” she said. 

Rose waved her goodbyes and carried on down the road. She tried her best to stay underneath the shelter of the pine tree branches to avoid the storm above, but since it was early into winter and the trees shed their leaves they couldn’t quite stop the droplets of rain from hitting her on the top of head. She was a little frightened of being alone in the dark forest especially because of all the people that had been mysteriously going missing lately, out of paranoia she kept looking behind her. As she walked Rose pondered about them. __

_ I wonder what happened to them all? Wonder where they’re at now? How many people were there? Three or four I think…  _ Rose pondered as she glanced behind her once more. 

Every sound of a twig snapping startled her. Every sound of an animal scurrying along the underbrush made her jump out of her skin. She started to feel regret at not accepting her friend Emily’s offer to take her home. 

_ But that would’ve been selfish of me to make her walk home alone. I couldn’t do that to her, what if something were to happen?  _ Rose thought.  _ I can’t wait to get home, my house isn’t much farther from here. Oh, I should’ve bought a snack at lunchtime; I’m so hungry right now! Ooh I could really go for some of those fresh chocolate chip cookies they serve in the cafeteria. I wonder if we have any food at home? Huh, how long does it take to walk to my house? I should time it one day.  _ Rose’s mind wandered off even further as she walked, it was just one random thought after another.

It seemed as though her journey home had been going on for quite some time. Rose looked towards the sky; the sun was setting, turning it beautiful colors of yellow, orange, and pink. It looked like someone set fire to the atmosphere.  _ How is it already dusk? That’s a bit odd, actually, that’s really odd. I’ve been out longer than I thought… I really need to hurry home though, mom’s gonna be so mad at me!  _

Rose tripped on a rock in the road as she strolled along, she looked down for one second when suddenly panic surged through her, she jumped back, “What happened to the road?” she spoke. instead of the normal paved route she took when she got off the bus from school to go home there wasn’t anything. It was all just grass and earth, “Did I go off course without even knowing? N-no, no, no! I was just walking down it… I could’ve sworn I was. It was just here!” she cried. Rose looked behind her,  _ There’s just more grass, looks like it goes back for miles.  _ The ground beneath her was different. Very different. 

“I don’t even recognize anything here.” Rose said as she began to look at her surroundings. She started to panic even more. “It’s okay. Take a deep breath and calm down. Think positive thoughts! Okay, uh, I’m positive that I’m lost with _no idea_ where I’m at! Oh jeez what am I gonna do?” She started to wonder if she walked far off from the road when she was distracted with her thoughts. That was the only logical explanation she could come up with. After all she did tend to get distracted easily.

More time had passed and Rose was getting tired. It was so quiet out in the woods that you could’ve heard a pin drop, an eerie blanket of darkness settled across the land as the night came. Far beyond the trees there was the faint of what sounded like someone running. _Probably just an animal,_ she thought. There was a faint cold breeze from ahead, it grazed the tips of Rose’s fingers and she walked, she shivered and quickly held her hands close. “Should’ve brought a jacket.” She murmured to herself, Rose looked around, “Should’ve brought _a map too_ because I’m so lost. Where even am even going?”

Rose looked around, nothing but more grass and trees surrounded her.  _ I really need to get home, mom must be so mad and worrying sick about me.  _

Rose turned upwards towards the sky. “I gotta find a way back, it’s already nighttime!” she gasped.  _ I need to get home. Now. _

So she thought she would try to find the road first, then head south. Rose tried to run as fast as she could, though it didn’t quite help that she had a heavy backpack putting weight on her. Her rain boots made an awkward thud noise as she ran, that was the only sound that could be heard until in the distance there was the faint sound of people yelling, she stopped dead in her tracks and stared up at the hill where the commotion was coming from. Beyond she could see a building in the distance. 

_ Something’s coming. Nothing good will come from this.  _ She thought, though it didn’t quite feel like it was entirely her who was thinking these thoughts; almost as if someone was telling her this. A sharp piercing pain then hit her in her head. Rose collapsed on the ground and darkness subsided in her vision as she fell deeper and further in unconsciousness. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is cringeworthy lol (also in the previous chapter I made some slight* changes.)
> 
> If you’ve never watched Ephemeral Rift before then I suggest you go check out his channel before reading, anyways enjoy!

Warm morning sunlight poured through a window and lit up the shaggy carpet floor. Birds could be heard chirping in the far off distance from in the woods. Upon awakening from her deep slumber Rose groggily burrowed herself deeper back into the sheets. Drowsiness lingered throughout her, she felt like sleeping forever.

She opened her eyes for a brief moment.  _ Where am I - is this the neighbor’s house?  _ She wondered,  _ What happened yesterday? _

A memory of her walking home from the bus stop flashed in her mind. In that moment everything started to slowly piece together. She remembered the strange scenery - how nothing looked familiar to her. She remembered the tense pain in her head and how everything went dark after that. A sickening feeling washed over her. 

She groggily sat up in bed observing her surroundings for any escapeways. As she looked around she noticed: a small wooden nightstand placed neatly next to the bed, a wooden table with a strangely decorated lamp on top with a chair to accompany, and a dark wood dresser that stood by the door. 

Rose dazedly got out of bed and wandered over to the window near the nightstand to try and pry it open. She looked out in utter confusion and shock, outside of the window was a fenced courtyard. Along it on the pathway she spotted people walking together, one of them was dressed in a patient’s outfit. Her eyes followed along the cobblestone path they walked beside and led her to a large black gate. Above the gate read: Arkham Sanitarium for Mental Rehabilitation. 

_ Okay… so this  _ definitely _ isn’t the neighbor’s house.  _ Rose thought.  _ Mental rehabilitation _ ?  _ This place is a hospital.  _ She thought.  _ Who brought me here?  _ Her head started to hurt a little.

She looked away from the window and walked towards the door. The girl hesitated out of fear to open it and instead she cupped her ear against it to listen for anything. Footsteps going up and down the hallway outside could be heard. Rose crawled back into bed and anxiously rocked back and forth, her mind became increasingly overwhelmed with thoughts. 

_I have to get home. Oh, what am I going to do? I have to call somebody, I have to let someone from back home know where I’m at. I have to let someone know that I’m okay. What about my mom? She must be worried sick._ She sadly thought. _Okay Rose, don’t panic you’ll be out of here in no time. Just try to keep positive about this, I have absolutely no clue how_ _in this situation, but just try!_

She ran up to the door again and listened once more. Outside in the hallway she could recognize the sound of people chatting while they walked past her room. As Rose continued to listen, it sounded as though someone was quickly walking down the hall approaching her room.

“Are those footsteps coming closer?” She whispered. Her heart was pounding in her chest, panic surged through her. 

Rose scurried back to bed intently watching the door. Every minute that passed made the atmosphere seem more tense. The sound of the footsteps got uncomfortably closer as the sound of the door handle turned. Rose sat frozen like a deer in headlights.

A man dressed in a doctor’s attire stepped into the room. “Hello there.” He said in a slow and calm manner. “My name is Professor Clemmons - I’m the head of Arkham Sanitarium,  _ you’re _ … our new patient?” He asked. Rose didn’t quite know what to make of this so she just nodded her head.

_ Did he just say Arkham? But that’s so far away from my home in Amesbury, why am I all the way out here and not at a hospital there?  _ Rose pondered. 

“Why don’t you and me have a seat shall we?” Professor Clemmons said gesturing towards the table in the middle of the room. Rose nervously got up and took a seat in a chair across from him. 

The Professor spoke in such a calm and slow manner - dragging his sentences and speaking so quietly, that it was hard for Rose to be afraid of him. It was almost as if he was doing this to get Rose into some sort of peaceful trance, which if that was the case then it was certainly starting to work. 

“Allow me a moment please.” Then Professor Clemmons gathered some materials which included a clipboard, a pen, and some paper and placed them onto the desk in the middle of the room.

“So… you must be very confused as to what’s going on right now. Someone had seen you out in the forest unconscious here very close to the sanitarium. The staff here at the sanitarium had to take you in immediately.” Professor Clemmons said. “Why were you out there? Do you remember anything before that moment?” He clicked his pen. 

Rose told him everything that had happened before that wondering if she was starting to sound crazy. 

The Professor paused for a few seconds. Rose searched his face for answers to try to find out what he was feeling, however she came up blank with answers. 

“Sounds like you entered through an opened rift.” He said.

The girl stared at him with confusion. “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand…” Rose replied back. 

Professor Clemmons looked up from his note taking, “The rifts are how the staff and even some of the patients travel to different places you see. You must’ve entered through one unknowingly. You said you had experienced a sharp pain in your head… my guess as to why was probably because of the rifts. You know someone as young as you should not have been traveling through a rift. They can cause… serious problems to a developing adolescence.”   
  


Panic surged, “What about my mom though? I’m so far away from home - I have to tell her where I’m at. She’s probably looking for me worried sick.” Rose cried. 

“Do not worry… we’ll get a hold of her soon and she can come get you. You shouldn’t be here for too long anyways - a couple of days at most.” He replied calmly. The Professor proceeded on with his questionnaire for Rose’s patient file so casually like everything was okay and 

_He doesn’t seem too concerned though,_ Rose thought, _maybe I’m getting worried over nothing. I mean he did say that I can call home soon… yeah, everything_ is _gonna be okay._ _I’ll be home soon._

  
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

The night had at last arrived, for the rest of the day after Professor Clemmon’s visit, Rose had stayed hidden in her room. And while other patients were fast asleep at this time she, however, was still wide awake; wide awake with many thoughts and worries. Rose laid in bed staring at the ceiling contemplating in her head to herself.  _ I really need to use the phone to call home, I can’t wait any longer! The more time I wait, the more worry I cause back home.  _ She wondered what the consequences would be if she was caught past curfew. 

_ I shouldn’t break the rules though, it’s only been one day. Maybe if I just have some patience and wait until tomorrow The Professor will let me use the phone.  _ But on the other hand the other side of her was saying, “ _ there is no time just go!”  _ She shook herself and sighed. 

Rose got out of bed and scurried towards the door, she warily opened the door and stepped outside, pausing for a second. She looked up and down the hall making sure no one was around, then Rose quietly tiptoed down the blank looking hallway. A faint buzzing of the overhead lights and her footsteps could be heard, but nothing more. Her skin prickled with goosebumps.  _ This place is huge,  _ she thought,  _ and creepy. I’m not that sure I know where I’m going exactly. There has to be signs or something that say something like ‘hey I noticed you’re trying to find our phone booth to call your severely worried mother and tell her you’re still alive, so you’re gonna wanna make a left here and then a right over there…’  _

Her thoughts subsided, however as she turned a corner. Far down the hallway a dark silhouette of a man stood, staring out a window at the moonlit courtyard of the sanitarium. Rose immediately halted in her tracks, her heartbeat quickened. _Maybe I can ask him for help..._ she nervously thought. She stood for a moment still looking ahead, _I’m starting to wonder if this is really_ _worth it… but if it’s for mom then it definitely is._ Rose tried to make noise with her footsteps as she approached so she wouldn’t seem as though she was trying to creep up on him. “Excuse me?” Rose asked politely, the person turned around looking quite surprised that someone else was wandering the halls this late into the night. 

“Oh, well what do we have here? I see you too cannot sleep either.” he said with a small chuckle. He was an old man with many smile wrinkles sealed deep into his face and wore red pajamas with a dark green robe thrown over. “I haven’t seen you before. You must be the new one, my name’s Al.” He looked kindly at Rose. “Oh, well, it’s very nice to meet you, Al. Actually yes, I am new here. Um, I’m sorry to bother you -- but I was wondering if you knew where the sanitarium’s phone was?” Rose said, “I  _ really  _ need to get a hold of my mother to tell her that I’m safe. It’s a long story.” she looked up at the old man with desperate eyes. He paused, a slight bit of worry was written on his wrinkled face. 

“The telephone?” he asked with confusion. Rose nodded, “Yes, do you know where it is? Please, I  _ have  _ to call my mother. I have to let her and everyone else back home know that I’m okay.” Al looked confused at this accusation. “Your mother doesn’t know you’re here?” he asked. “No, I--”, Al cut her off as he realized something. “Ah, you must’ve fallen through one of the opened rifts.” Rose was startled how he knew about that, “How -- how did you know that? So, it’s _ not _ a lie. It’s really true that these rift things exist?” Al nodded, “It sure is. Real as ever, and you young lady, accidentally entered through one. I’ve been here for quite some time, I know a lot about this peculiar place. And trust me, I didn’t believe it either when I first heard the other patients and staff talking about it.” 

“Do you know how I can get back home?” Rose asked d esperately. Sympathy emerged on his old wrinkled face. “I’m afraid not. There are two ways though the first one is entering back through one of the rifts, which is not really a valid option.  You see the rifts have been acting a little funny lately, and I’m not sure why. They’ve been opening up in certain areas for no reason, one of those places being wherever you were, that’s how you got here in the first place.” Rose lowered her head sadly, “What’s the other option?” she asked. 

Al looked back out the window at the starless sky. “Well, the other option is to wait until Professor Clemmons decides you’re fit to go home. Which I’m positive you’ll be out of here soon. I don’t see why he’d keep you here for any longer.”  _ That’s what Professor Clemmons said earlier to me today.  _ Rose’s eyes lit up with happiness.

_ I should still call tonight. Though, I really don’t want to get in trouble though if I’m caught.  _ Rose stared outside nervously contemplating her decisions.  _ I could wait until tomorrow. It’s getting late anyways, but I suppose it’s never too late to leave a voicemail if I go now.  _ She exhaled. “Al, can you tell me where the telephone is?” Rose asked politely. 

Al stopped for a moment thinking hard about this question. “Okay, I think, go through that elevator over there. Down on the second floor there’s a library, the phone’s right next to the doors to go in... I think.” he looked around. “Just try not to stay out of your room for too long. Curfew is at ten o’clock, though I think the staff would cut you some slack if they caught you up past bedtime, after all you're just an anxious kid trying to go home.” His face changed as though he just now realized that he too should be getting to his room soon, for Al would be considered overstepping the boundaries. “Oh, thank you so much!” she exclaimed. The old man nodded and walked away. 

Rose darted down to the elevator doors shaking with excitement. She pressed a yellow lit button, and with a satisfying  _ ding _ the metal doors opened and she stepped inside.  _ Floor number two. Two… there it is.  _ Rose pressed another button and the doors rammed shut, she could feel the weight of the elevator going down. She stepped out and waited for a moment to see if the coast was clear, ever so quietly she tiptoed her way towards the library.  _ There it is! _ She thought with delight. The girl quickly dialed her home phone number, well, she tried to. Rose held the phone up to her ear, there was a menacing beeping sound coming from the other line and in that moment Rose realized that the phone wasn’t even connected. 

_ Darn it! Oh gosh, now I’m gonna have to wait another day. Okay, calm down Rose. It’s gonna be okay, just try your best to keep your chin up. Breathe, just like mom would say: do not panic.  _ She thought to herself. Rose stood there taking a moment to collect herself trying not to let her worries consume her mind, she sighed and carried on back towards her room.

_ It’s not  _ really  _ my room though. I miss my real bedroom,  _ she thought,  _ I’ve only been here for not even one day and I’m already homesick.  _ Rose began to wonder about her friend Emily, did she make it home safely or did she suffer the same fate as Rose. 

_ I really, really hope she’s okay,  _ the girl thought.  _ I’m sure she is though, there are many houses where she lives and her home isn’t that far of a walk.  _ Rose began to wonder what her friend would do in a situation like this. She chuckled to herself,  _ she’d probably try to break out on her first day here!  _

Rose looked around at the empty halls she wandered.  _ I’m so happy I declined her offer to take me home. Probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.  _ She didn’t even want to think about the alternate timeline where Emily went along with Rose. A warm feeling came over her as she thought about her good friend. She realized that she’d need to hurry back to her room now before curfew, and Rose quickly rushed to the elevator doors. 

When she arrived Rose immediately stepped off and walked fast to her room. But there was a sudden realization that struck her as she aimlessly walked up and down the halls in one way and out the other through many doors, this was not the correct floor Rose’s room was on.

_ How could I be so stupid? It’s probably past curfew by now and if I’m caught and I’m trouble!  _ She panicked. She took a deep breath and picked a direction in which to go.  _ There has to be a directory on the wall or something for people like me.  _

It felt as though the buzzing from the lights was getting louder and the lights were blaring there white glow brighter. Two large sets of doors loomed in the distance as she turned down a random hall hoping for any sign of where the elevator was.  _ Everything looks about the same. It’s hard to tell where I’ve already been and where I haven’t.  _ Rose looked at the sign next to the doors, on it read the words  _ SURGERY AND EXPERIENCE WARD _

Rose slightly tilted her head in confusion.  _ I don’t even want to know,  _ she thought,  _ I better go back right now.  _ The girl started to retrace her steps when suddenly,  _ What was that? _

There was a strange noise coming from down through the doors, was it someone crying? Her eyes widened with alarm, she had a crippling feeling in her chest that she wasn’t supposed to know, hear, or see this, and it wasn’t helping that security cameras were perched in every area of the building heightening her fear of being caught out here. 

_That sounds like… crying.. or like groaning? it’s not just my mind playing tricks, is it?_ The sound was so faint though it just had to have been because she was tired. _It’s coming from the ward surgery ward ahead,_ she thought wearily. _It’s probably nothing though…_

Finally, Rose found the elevator.  _ Almost there. _

But just as Rose had finally started to relax she stopped, dead in her tracks, and stared fearfully with shock ahead. Her heartbeat quickened its pace so fast she started to get ditzy. There, standing not too far away from the ward doors to get to Rose’s room was a tall man in a white plague mask.


	4. this isn't actually a chapter, it's an announcement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some updates and changes

Hello everyone, (or should I say the very few people who actually read this fic lol), sorry I haven't really been updating in a while. I made this announcement to say that I'm not really sure if I'm end this fic. Honestly, I've been kind of losing interest in this book lately and I thought that maybe I should just write some original work or something. Also I feel like there's just so many plot holes and confusing things within this story that it just makes trying to follow along with what's happening so much more difficult than it needs to be.

Another thing too is I feel like I kind of have too many ocs in the book and it bothers me a little. I don't really know if there's a rule or something within the fanfiction community about how many ocs you can have within a fic, but I already feel like I have too many within lol.

Also with school starting up for me next week, if I do decide to continue this, it's going to be a little bit harder for me to actually write chapters since I'm going to be pretty busy :/

As I said before, it's *not* a definite decision to end this fic, but I have been considering it lately. I'm not at all sure what I'm going to do yet though, if I do continue on with this there's going to be some MAJOR changes happening to the plot.


End file.
